Pablo's DNA Results with Wisdom Panel

The results are in! Three months after we welcomed our beautiful boy home from Spain, we are more besotted than ever with Pablo and so happy to have given a home to a creature so desperately in need. I always knew I wanted to rescue a dog - all dogs deserve a home, but there are so many ‘second-hand’ dogs who are looking for a second chance, and I’ve always felt it to be the most ethical choice.

When we started the rescue process, I read around the subject and discovered that one of the biggest barriers to people rescuing dogs is a lack of knowledge about their background. This is completely understandable - if a dog comes from a traumatic background, they may have behavioural issues. But many people also want to know what kind of dog they are getting - including their breed mixture and genetic background.

Fortunately, finding out a dog’s breed is super easy these days thanks to doggy DNA tests! When we chose Pablo, we were drawn to the fact that he was a complete mystery - we couldn’t work out what kind of dog he was, or even part of what he was. He is so strange looking (although obviously beautiful), and we couldn’t wait to find out what concoction of breeds had been mixed together to form our wonderful puppy.

Enter - Wisdom Panel! The world's leading canine genetics company with over 350 breeds, varieties and types on their genetic database. Wisdom Panel were kind enough to send me a 3.0 Canine Breed Detection kit to learn more about Pablo’s heritage, the breeds in his genes, and any potential genetic illnesses he may have inherited.

The testing process was easy as pie. First, we collected Pablo’s sample by swabbing the inside of his mouth with a couple of bristle brushes, popped them in the return packet, and activated the kit online. The sample was then returned in the post and within 2-3 weeks of the sample arriving at the lab, the results were revealed!

The rest of his DNA is so mongrelised they can’t be specific about what he is, but they have specified that he has genes from three different groups:

The herding group (collies, pyreneans, etc.), the African & Middle Eastern group (salukis, rhodesian ridgebacks, etc.), and the working group (labradors, retrievers and spaniels, etc.).

So somehow we have ended up with a chihuahua!?! No offence to chihuahua-lovers, but I’m so glad doggy genes aren’t always visible…

Of course, we don’t really mind and loved finding out more about Pablo’s genetic background. He was also given the all-clear for certain hereditary diseases, and we received a little family tree that confirmed his bizarre parentage. We’re still curious about where his long legs have come from, but looking at salukis and ridgebacks, my guess is from his more exotic genes. All hail our beautiful street-rat puppy Pablo - a truly unique little mut!

Thank you to Wisdom Panel for giving us a fascinating glimpse into the background of our mysterious little dog. The process was so simple, and we’re so happy/amused with the results! If you have a rescue dog, or you suspect your pedigree dog might be a little too long-legged/fluffy-tailed/big-eared, I highly recommend treating yourself to a doggy DNA test.

Get £5 off your Wisdom Panel canine DNA test this January! Just enter the code: FFSHJAN2019